Our Twitter account went up today! We'll be tweeting with the handle @TravelingNellie, after our mascot bear, who was named after famed world traveler and journalist Nellie Bly. If you're a tweeter, please follow us for the latest Traveling Bear news.
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Blogging is off to a slow start at Traveling Bear Central, but rest assured, the wheels have been turning. There's a lot of news we're not quite ready to share, but in the meantime, here are some tidbits.
1. We received a new shipment of bears from Mary. Thanks, Mary! 2. We sent Violet out into the world. 3. We began searching for corporate and school partnerships. That last item is the big one. If you're an educator who thinks a traveling bear would be a good teaching tool for your students, please contact me. We have several bears who would love to be adopted by a class as an exercise in charity, compassion, and paying kindness forward. And please continue to let us know if you know anyone who could use a traveling bear. Email us at travelingbearsociety (at) gmail (dot) com, or use our Contact page. About a week ago, I decided to donate a bear myself. This one would stay with me, attend events, and generally man (bear?) the controls at Traveling Bear Central. I am not crafty (and it turns out the logistics of having people make bears is more difficult than I expected), so it would have to be a purchase. Build-A-Bear had this little guy, who looks quite a bit like the bear in our logo, so I just couldn't resist inviting him to join the fold. His arrival today proved that he's the perfect addition. It's been a rough week at Traveling Bear Central. A nasty virus has run rampant in my daughter's daycare, and she brought it home to me. Add to that, my husband has had late nights all week, so the baby and I have been struggling quite a bit. This morning, I woke up feeling worse than ever. I won't go into the gory details (no one likes phlegm stories), but suffice it to say when the baby started crying, my first thought was, "I know how you feel, kid." It was all I could do to get her ready for daycare, promising myself I'd crawl right back into bed as soon as I got home. But a text from my husband changed those plans. There was a box on the doorstep, he said, that hadn't been there when he came home late last night. (I can only imagine this is how Santa operates when you're an adult.) It was the bear! Note: I'll name him later, when I'm feeling less delirious. And so, on a day when I feel absolutely rotten, the universe (along with, well, me) sent me a bear. Did he cure my cold, make me stop coughing, or help me feel well rested? Of course not. But he brought a smile to my face on a gray day. It just goes to show that sending someone a Traveling Bear doesn't have to be a grand gesture. We all go through everyday struggles that, when you're in the thick of it, can feel just as tough as the big stuff. We've said from the beginning that everyone deserves someone to hug. Today, I got someone. As Punkie and Ben travel to their first destinations, I want to take a moment to thank one special family, without whom the Traveling Bear Society would never have gotten off the ground.
When I first had the idea, my friend Maribeth (center in the photo above, and of attention everywhere she goes) was the first person I called. "I have three words for you," I said. "Traveling Bear Society." "I don't know what that means, but count me in," she said. That's Maribeth, always supportive of her friends, no matter what their crazy ideas are. And bears--well, bears pretty much hit Maribeth right in the heart and soul. Her bear pal, Colby, is such a presence in her life that last year when she asked me to make her a holiday mix CD, I made one for Colby too. Colby even contributed to the Traveling Bear fundraising campaign. But it wasn't just Maribeth who supported this mission. (Or her human friends, who also gave very generously.) Her twin sister, Ellen (holding Oscar and Grover in the photo), made Ben, and her sister Shannon (posing with Cookie Monster and Big Bird) designed our logo. Their mom, Mary, sent Daisy, Violet, Punkie, and Hope. The importance of this family in the formation of our organization cannot be overstated. Their support and enthusiasm kept me excited about doing this. So thank you, McCarthy family, for everything you've done. You are a wonderful example of compassion and passion. Our first Traveling Bears are hitting the road today. Punkie is off to Oklahoma City, and Ben is headed to Rockford, Illinois. I'm excited to tell you more about who they're visiting and what they'll be doing, but I know their recipients will be just as excited, so I will save it for later. Please check back for updates about Ben and Punkie. In the meantime, let us know if there's someone out there needing a visit from one of our other bears. I saw this post on Facebook yesterday and couldn't resist sharing it here. I would love to send a Traveling Bear to a member of the military stationed overseas. If anyone knows how I can do this, please contact me.
A package arrived last week at Traveling Bear Central from Mary, who wanted to help but isn't a crafter. She found these four bears out in the world, looking for adventure, and offered them the chance to join the fold with the Traveling Bear Society. The rule around here is, if you send the bears, you name them. Mary has not specified whether she'd like to do so, so until I know, these bears will be dubbed Freddie, Brian, John, and Roger, because the way they're positioned in this photo reminds me of Queen in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video. We now have five bears ready to go out into the world, and that seems like a great place to start. Please check this blog for updates over the next few weeks as we prepare to get them out. And as always, if you know someone who needs a bear hug, please reach out via the Contact Us page. UPDATE: Mary reached out with names for her bears. Meet Daisy, Violet, Punkie, and Hope. Our first bear is almost ready to hit the road! This is Ben, just before leaving for his trip from Pennsylvania to our home base in Chicago. He comes to us from Ellen, whose craftiness is exceeded only by her generosity.
Do you know someone who might need a visit from Ben or one of his friends? Write to us using the form in the Contact section. My friend B.J. Ellis and his hat-wearing alter ego, Colt Sebastian Taylor, put together this video to promote The Traveling Bear Society. Thanks to B.J., Colt, and everyone who has generously given so far. |
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AuthorErika Grotto is the founder of The Traveling Bear Society. Archives
April 2015
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